Messi's rise from La Masia prospect to global icon stands as one of footballs most remarkable narratives. After graduating from Barcelonas academy in 2004, he wasted little time in proving himself a once in a generation talent. His evolution reached new heights under Pep Guardiola, who shifted him into the false nine role, a position Messi transformed through his intelligence, movement and prolific goalscoring.
Over the course of 17 dazzling years at Camp Nou, Messi became the face of the clubs golden era. He guided Barcelona to 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League triumphs, while also collecting seven of the eight Ballon dOr trophies he has won in his career, most of them earned during his time in Catalonia.
The story took a dramatic turn in 2021, when Barcelona's financial collapse made his departure unavoidable. Messi then joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, spending two seasons in France before making another high profile move in 2023 to Inter Miami. In MLS, he continues to reshape the leagues global appeal and add new chapters to an already incomparable legacy.
While Messi signed an extension with Miami until 2028, he posted on his social media account a photo of his visit to Camp Nou hoping to return to play one last time.
"I hope one day I can come back, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got to," he said..